‘MoU must before opening destinations for females’

Kathmandu, July 27

The government has been instructed to conclude the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with major labour destinations before opening these labour destinations for female workers.

The Labour and International Relations Committee of the Legislature-Parliament has asked the Ministry of Labour and Employment to ensure the security of female workers who are employed as housemaids.

Speaking in a meeting of the House panel today, lawmakers said that the condition of female workers working in the unorganised sector is pathetic as they face various forms of exploitation, including sexual and are often not provided the salary and allowances as promised.

The government has banned manpower firms from sending female workers to labour destinations after a huge number of complaints regarding their exploitation were lodged at the Department of Foreign Employment. However, a recent study conducted by Foreign Employment Promotion Board has revealed that female workers are being rampantly sent to labour destinations under tourist visas.

The House panel has also instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to strictly inspect the networks working in sending female workers to the labour destinations. The MoHA has also been instructed to carry out a study to get membership of TRIP protocol, which could be beneficial to work for the security of Nepali workers working abroad. In the meeting, Home Minister Janardan Sharma proposed to form a separate cell under Nepal Police to look into fraud cases in foreign employment sector.

Along with Sharma, the House panel today had also summoned Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Labour Minister Farmullah Mansoor and urged them to work in collaboration to resolve the problems witnessed in the foreign employment sector.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also been directed to regularly discuss with the missions of concerned labour recipient countries in Kathmandu regarding the situation of Nepali workers.

Citing that weak legal framework is also responsible for problems in foreign employment sector, the House panel has also instructed MoLE to conclude amendment draft of the Foreign Employment Act at the earliest.